Land: Registration

Michael Howard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of maps issued have been returned due to error during the course of the 2009 update of the Rural Land Register; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of work arising from maps returned due to error; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 1 December 2009
	The Mapping Update project was undertaken to update the land information held on the Rural Land Register (RLR) by improving the quality of data and providing farmers with an accurate and up-to-date record of their land in respect of subsidy claims.
	As at 27 November 2009, more than 107,000 maps have been sent to farmers and we have received 44,360 requests for changes. This represents some 41 per cent. of the maps issued and remains within the project's expectations.
	The cost of making the requested edits and re-issuing maps is included in the overall RLR programme cost of £21.4 million was set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1167W.
	While the latest Ordnance Survey data and recent aerial photography has been used, the maps will not show any changes to the land carried out more recently by farmers and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) ask farmers therefore to confirm that the maps are correct, or what changes are necessary.
	Each year the Rural Payments Agency receives about 25,000 business as usual requests for land changes from farmers. In 2009 many of these will be included in the Mapping Update requests.

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of ships departing from UK ports carrying live animals have been subject to inspection for animal welfare purposes in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All livestock vessels (other than roll-on, roll-off vessels which are exempt from the need to be formally approved) are inspected and approved prior to use. This is a requirement of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport. It is not possible to provide figures for the previous five years since this data is not available centrally.

Roads: Accidents

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how many fatal road traffic accidents there have been in Reading East constituency where the major contributory factor was  (a) speed,  (b) excess alcohol and  (c) failure to maintain the vehicle in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many individuals were injured as a result of road accidents attributed to  (a) road surface defects,  (b) road works and  (c) defective road signs in (i) Berkshire and (ii) Reading East constituency in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: Information on contributory factors to road accidents is not available below Government office region level.
	Information about contributory factors can be found in Article 4 in the Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2008 Annual Report, copies of which have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Accidents

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what statistics his Department collects on road traffic accidents involving newly-qualified drivers; and how many such accidents occurred in Reading East constituency in the last five years.

Paul Clark: Information regarding the length of time individuals involved in road accidents have held a driving licence is not routinely collected by the Department for Transport.
	The Department has published research into new and learner drivers, Road Safety Research Report No. 81-Cohort II: A Study of Learner and New Drivers, part of which looked at their involvement in road accidents.
	A copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Aircraft Carriers

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned in-service dates are for the two new aircraft carriers.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 649W, to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis).
	The latest cost and time estimates are currently going through the Department's approval process. As is normal practice, we will not make any announcements until this process has completed.

Armed Forces: Absence Without Leave

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been absent without leave in each month of 2009 to date.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held in the format requested. Centrally held information relates to the number of Absent Without Leave incidents and not to the number of personnel. Additionally, data is only available by month in respect of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. In respect of the Army, only the year to date total is held centrally and to obtain this information by month will require a manual search of records which could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The available figures are provided in the following table.
	AWOL statistics are recorded by the number of incidences reported, because the figures may include Service Personnel who have been AWOL on more than one occasion. Furthermore, following the reporting of an incidence of AWOL, information may later come to light of extenuating circumstances for that unauthorised absence, such as compassionate, hospitalisation or travel delays beyond the individual's control. In such cases a service person may not be formally charged but the incidence is still recorded.
	
		
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			 January 5 - 1 
			 February 10 - 0 
			 March 10 - 0 
			 April 5 - 0 
			 May 10 - 0 
			 June 10 - 0 
			 July 10 - 0 
			 August 5 - 1 
			 September 10 - 0 
			 October 10 - 1 
			 November 5 - 3 
			 Total 80 (1)1,695 6 
			 (1) This is the number of recorded incidences, not the number of people AWOL or the number of charges brought.  Note: Figures for the Royal Navy and Army rounded to nearest 5.

Armed Forces: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the amount of energy consumed by HM forces in the last year.

Kevan Jones: The estimated energy consumed across the MOD in financial year 2008-09 and the associated CO2 emissions are provided in the following table.
	In many areas of Defence, civil servants work alongside serving members of the Armed Forces. This makes it impossible to distinguish between energy used by HM Armed Forces and that used by civil servants. As such, the figures provided are for the MOD as a whole.
	
		
			Motive f uel   
			   Estate  e nergy  Ground  Aviation  Marine  Business administrative t ravel  Total 
			 Energy (TWh) 6.0 0.9 10.3 2.7 n/a 19.9 
			 CO2 (Mt) 1.8 0.2 2.7 0.7 0.2 5.6 
		
	
	This data has been calculated using the DEFRA 2008 conversion factors. This is to ensure that Estate emissions data is comparable with previous years, enabling us to demonstrate a 12.5 per cent. reduction against our 1999-2000 baseline-thus meeting the Government target two years early.
	The DEFRA conversion factors do not provide a mechanism for converting miles travelled on business into TWh so the data has only been provided as CO2 emissions.
	Further information about the calculation of MOD energy use can be found on the UK Defence Statistics Website at the following link;
	http://bravo.dasa.r.mil.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2009/c7/sec1intro.html

Armed Forces: Housing

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many houses owned by his Department in  (a) Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency,  (b) the Highlands and  (c) Scotland are rated as grade (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four.

Kevan Jones: Service family accommodation (SFA) is assessed by Standard for Condition (SfC), an objective assessment of the physical condition of the property. Properties are rated from S1fC (the highest) to S4fC (the lowest). The Ministry of Defence (MOD) no longer allocates properties at S4fC, and no family is required to live in properties at S4fC other than by personal choice.
	Properties at S3fC are only allocated where no other property is available. The MOD aims to have all UK SFA at Standard 1 or 2 for Condition by 2013, and all properties at S1fC by 2020. It is not possible to provide the information in the format requested, however, current SfC data for Scotland is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Standard for Condition (SfC)  Number 
			 S1fC 3,102 
			 S2fC 123 
			 S3fC 1 
			 S4fC 0 
			 Total 3,226 
		
	
	In addition, SFA is assessed by Grade for Charge (GfC), an assessment that sets the level of charges that families pay. This assessment takes into account not only the physical condition of the property but also environmental factors, such as noise and proximity to local amenities. It is therefore possible for SFA to have a high SfC assessment but a low GfC. Again, it is not possible to provide the information in the format requested, however SFA in Scotland is at the following GfC:
	
		
			  Grade for Charge  Number 
			 Grade 1 1,116 
			 Grade 2 1,336 
			 Grade 3 481 
			 Grade 4 293 
			 Total 3,226

British Atomic Veterans' Claimants Group

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from the British Atomic Veterans' Claimants Group.

Kevan Jones: I received a letter dated 11 November 2009 on behalf of the Atomic Veterans Claimant Group. I understand that a similar letter was sent to all Members of Parliament with one or more atomic veterans in their constituency.
	The letter explains that many of the veterans view recognition as more important than substantial compensation. I should therefore like to reiterate the statement I made in the House on 22 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 421-24, which is that the Ministry of Defence recognises the debt of gratitude we have to the servicemen who took part in the nuclear tests. They were important tests that helped to keep this nation secure at a difficult time in terms of nuclear technology. There is a memorial to British Nuclear Test Veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
	At the conclusion of his judgment Mr. Justice Foskett said
	"The Government is, of course, pledged to settle legal cases by alternative dispute resolution in all suitable cases whenever the other party agrees to it. In my view, this is such a case".
	The Ministry of Defence has adhered to the judge's wish but, unfortunately, I cannot reveal the contents of the negotiations because this would breach the confidentiality agreement between the parties. However, I can say that genuine negotiations have taken place between the parties respective counsels and a settlement proposal was made by the Ministry of Defence (although I cannot disclose the amount). To date, no response has been received from the claimants' counsel or the law firm representing them (Rosenblatts). This is obviously disappointing, but we remain open to meaningful discussions. In the meantime, we have been left with no option but to proceed with our appeal for which the High Court judge has given us permission. I understand the appeal is listed for a three week window starting on 4 May 2010.

Defence Equipment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports  (a) were filed in each year since 2003 and  (b) have been filed for each armoured vehicle type in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009.

Quentin Davies: As reported by the users, the approximate number of equipment failure reports filed in each year since 2003, for each armoured vehicle types are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Vehicle type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 (so far) 
			 AS90 408 237 179 101 56 136 119 
			 AFV430 Mk2 447 480 363 325 289 262 246 
			 Bulldog n/a n/a n/a n/a 165 278 89 
			 Challenger 2 2,467 1,737 1,629 1,369 1,148 1,503 1,359 
			 CRARRV 139 356 304 226 166 148 127 
			 CVR(T) 445 252 194 372 304 465 333 
			 Fuchs 29 5 8 19 1 0 0 
			 Mastiff n/a n/a n/a n/a 163 317 206 
			 Panther n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 124 561 
			 Ridgback n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 51 
			 Saxon 45 66 21 10 4 1 0 
			 Shielder 6 3 15 8 9 11 2 
			 Stormer 67 54 59 30 50 62 38 
			 Snatch 48 211 380 362 117 21 20 
			 Titan n/a n/a n/a 153 418 333 141 
			 Trojan n/a n/a n/a 131 677 469 597 
			 Vector n/a n/a n/a n/a 56 189 59 
			 Viking 0 71 52 48 122 59 9 
			 Warrior 590 668 576 899 603 738 530 
		
	
	The Equipment Failure Reporting System (EFRS) is the mandated system for equipment users to report failures, such as accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, or the failure of an item fitted to the vehicle. It does not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and therefore does not differentiate between what might later prove to have been a problem caused by operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor does this data record the severity of a failure which might have no discernible impact on operational capability or safety.

Germany: British Forces Post Office

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of the future of the British Forces Post Office in Germany.

Bill Rammell: From September 2010, BFPO 109 (Ramstein) will see an adjusted service. Armed forces personnel will no longer fulfil the postal functions and some counter services will cease, however, we will employ dependents and civilians locally to run a basic postal receipt and despatch facility. Critically, the BFPO number, which is so useful for administrative purposes such as banking and internet shopping, will be retained. No further changes to British Forces Post Offices in Germany are currently planned.

Somalia: Piracy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference for Operation Atlanta are; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the operation to date; how many war ships from each country are involved in the operation; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Operation Atalanta does not have terms of reference as such. The tasks of the mission, set out in a mandate agreed by member states, are the protection of vessels of the WFP (World Food Programme) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia; the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast; and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
	The conduct of the mission is governed by an operation plan (OPLAN) drawn up by the operation commander (currently Rear Admiral Peter Hudson Royal Navy) and agreed by member states.
	Our assessment is that Operation Atalanta continues to be an effective counter piracy operation. Pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden has dramatically reduced and we are seeing unprecedented coordination between international navies and merchant shipping. Furthermore, as at 13 November 2009 the EU naval force had successfully escorted 51 World Food Programme (WFP) vessels, carrying 290,000 tons of aid to Somalia.
	The number of warships assigned to Operation Atalanta (as of 20 November) are as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Number of ships 
			 France 1 
			 Germany 1 
			 Netherlands (1)1 
			 Belgium 1 
			 Greece 1 
			 Norway 1 
			 Spain (2)1+1 
			 (1) Flag ship (2) The second Spanish frigate is available to the operation commander.

DNA: Databases

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of  (a) black,  (b) Asian and  (c) white males aged between 18 and 35 years have records on the National DNA Database.

Alan Campbell: It is not possible at present to calculate accurately the proportion of members of ethnic groups in the population as a whole who are on the NDNAD. This is because the data held on the NDNAD are not directly comparable with census population data. The NDNAD does not hold self-reported ethnicity data on arrested persons who have a DNA sample taken, but on their 'ethnic appearance'. The ethnic appearance data is based on the judgment of the police officer and is recorded for police intelligence purposes to assist in subsequent identification. It uses six broad ethnic categories (plus 'unknown') whereas census data is based on 16 ethnic groups self-reported by individuals.
	Estimates of the proportion of different ethnic groups on the NDNAD calculated by simply dividing the number of profiles by the population data will give an inaccurate estimate as a number of other factors also need to be taken into account. Examples of these factors are the number of profiles from persons of mixed race, the number of profiles of unknown ethnicity, the number of replicate profiles and the use of comparable up-to-date population data. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is working to produce an estimate which is as accurate and robust as possible.
	Data is available on the number of DNA profiles from people with black, asian or white ethnic appearance aged between 18 and 35 years on the NDNAD. The following table displays the number of subject profiles retained on the NDNAD as at 16 October 2009 for males aged 18-35 inclusive (based on current age as at 16 October 2009) for England and Wales police forces, including the British Transport Police (BTP). The figures cover all subject profiles.
	The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because some of the profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, an individual may have more than one profile held on the NDNAD. This may happen if, for example, an individual gives a different name on different arrest occasions. The existence of replicates does not affect the integrity or effectiveness of the NDNAD. The current replication rate across the entire NDNAD is 13.8 per cent.
	The data presented are based on a snapshot of the NDNAD as at 16 October 2009. The data on the NDNAD are constantly changing as records are added and removed, hence the figures are a snapshot of the records at a single point in time. The data are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	
		
			  Table showing the number of DNA subject profiles from black, asian and white males aged 18-35 inclusive (based on current age as at 16 October 2009) on the national DNA database (England and Wales forces only, including BTP). 
			  Ethnic appearance category  Number of DNA profiles 
			 Asian 172,846 
			 Black 193,593 
			 North European 1,817,035 
			 South European 54,630 
			  Source: National DNA Database, NPIA, as at 16 October 2009

Firearms: Injuries

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) the North East and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were (i) fatally and (ii) non-fatally wounded by a firearm in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: Available information relates to crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used, resulting in fatal and non-fatal injury in England and Wales, England, the North East region and Cleveland police force area. Constituency level data are not collected centrally. Data for the period 1997-98 up to and including 2007-08 are given in the following table. Figures for 2008-09, including a breakdown by police force area, will be published on 21 January 2010.
	Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used( 1) , resulting in fatal and non-fatal( 2)  injury, England and Wales, England, North East Region( 3)  and Cleveland; 1997-98 to2007-08 
			   Injury type 
			  1997-98  Fatal injury  Non-fatal injury 
			 England and Wales 54 750 
			 England 52 745 
			 North East Region 1 13 
			 Cleveland - 7 
			
			  1998-99( 4)   
			 England and Wales 50 815 
			 England 50 807 
			 North East Region 5 12 
			 Cleveland 1 2 
			
			  1999-2000   
			 England and Wales 62 1,133 
			 England 62 1,124 
			 North east region 6 11 
			 Cleveland 2 3 
			
			  2000-01   
			 England and Wales 72 1,310 
			 England 71 1,275 
			 North East Region 2 12 
			 Cleveland - 3 
			
			  2001-02( 5)   
			 England and Wales 96 1,783 
			 England 94 1,761 
			 North East Region - 7 
			 Cleveland - 2 
			
			  2002-03( 6)   
			 England and Wales 80 2,099 
			 England 78 2,041 
			 North East Region - 17 
			 Cleveland - 3 
			
			  2003-04   
			 England and Wales 68 2,299 
			 England 68 2,245 
			 North East Region - 77 
			 Cleveland - 17 
			
			  2004-05( 7)   
			 England and Wales 76 3,828 
			 England 76 3,704 
			 North East Region 1 101 
			 Cleveland - 14 
			
			  2005-06   
			 England and Wales 49 3,773 
			 England 48 3,679 
			 North East Region - 75 
			 Cleveland - 28 
			
			  2006-07   
			 England and Wales 56 2,955 
			 England 56 2,855 
			 North East Region 5 48 
			 Cleveland 1 1 
			
			  2007-08   
			 England and Wales 53 3,188 
			 England 53 3,101 
			 North East Region 1 54 
			 Cleveland - 6 
			 (1) Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat. (2) Non-fatal injuries include serious and slight injuries. (3) The Northeast Region includes: Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria police forces. (4) There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (5) Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (6) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this. (7) More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences, particularly those committed by imitation weapons.

Repatriation

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what factors his Department took into account in determining  (a) the repatriation to Malaysia of Agnes Wong and  (b) the sum which she was awarded under the Facilitated Returns Scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the maximum sum in assistance is that a foreign national can claim under  (a) the Facilitated Returns Scheme,  (b) reintegration assistance and  (c) each other form of assistance provided by his Department.

Phil Woolas: In accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, since the hon. Member is not acting on behalf of this individual I am unable to disclose details of her case, the UK Border Agency can not disclose an individual's data to third parties without the consent of the said individual.
	The Facilitated Return Scheme accounted for around a third of the 5,395 foreign national offenders removed in 2008.
	The Facilitated Return Scheme offers non European economic area foreign national detainees the opportunity to volunteer to return to their home country rather than await removal by the UK Border Agency. This option saves the United Kingdom taxpayer the considerable costs of detaining foreign nationals and the costly process of pursuing deportation through the courts.
	Eligible detainees are those who can be released because they have completed their sentence and are being detained solely under immigration powers (time served); those eligible for the Early Removal Scheme; or non European economic area nationals from countries with which the United Kingdom has a prisoner transfer agreement.
	Foreign national offenders removed under this scheme will now receive the equivalent of a discharge grant payable to British prisoners on their release, which is £46. This is paid on departure from the United Kingdom. In addition to this, a further sum of £454 on a pre-paid card will be given on departure which is for use on arrival in the home country.
	Those who volunteer to go home at the end of their sentence could receive a grant up to £3,000 when their sentence is finished. A large part of this is in kind.

Road Traffic Offences

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many traffic offences of each type were recorded by police in  (a) England and  (b) North East Cambridgeshire in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office collects data on notifiable offences recorded by the police. Data is available for causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs and dangerous driving. Traffic offences such as parking and speeding etc. are not included in the police recorded crime data.
	Information on police action relating to motoring offences (penalties issued by the police such as written warnings and fixed penalty notices) can be found in chapter 3 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 'Police Powers and Procedures', which can be viewed on the web link.
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/police-powers.html
	Data on court proceedings for motoring offences can be found in the Ministry of Justice Bulletin 'Criminal Statistics - England and Wales', which can be viewed on the web link.
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/criminalannual.htm

Shoplifting: Arrests

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shoplifters were reported to police in  (a) England and  (b) North East Cambridgeshire in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: Information is not available centrally on the number of shoplifters reported to the police. The available data relates to the number of offences of shoplifting recorded by the police in England and the figures are given in the following tables. Data for North East Cambridgeshire is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offences of shoplifting recorded by the police in England: 1999-2000 and 2001-02 
			   Number of offences 
			 1999-2000 278,243 
			 2000-01 279,198 
			 2001-02 291,689 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences of shoplifting recorded by the police in England 2002-03 to 2008-09( 1) 
			   Number of offences 
			 2002-03 294,062 
			 2003-04 286,440 
			 2004-05 265,789 
			 2005-06 279,908 
			 2006-07 278,241 
			 2007-08 274,146 
			 2008-09 302,499 
			 (1) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in 2002-03 and data before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Overseas Price Mechanism

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment has been made of the effect on his Department's budget on adverse currency movements following the withdrawal of the Overseas Price Mechanism in Autumn 2007;
	(2)  what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on foreign currency transactions in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of managing the system of forward purchases of currencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many staff have responsibilities connected to this function;
	(4)  how much was  (a) claimed from and  (b) returned to the Treasury under the Overseas Price Mechanism in each year since the mechanism's adoption;
	(5)  with reference to the answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 219W, on departmental public expenditure, how many UK overseas posts have required additional funding to maintain the purchasing power of their local budget since Autumn 2007; and how much additional funding was provided for that purpose;
	(6)  which UK posts overseas have reported a further decline in the purchasing power of their local budget since that answer was given; and what the value in UK sterling was of the total reported decline.

David Miliband: Over half the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) spend is in foreign currencies. Exchange rate pressures impact FCO three main areas: overseas Posts' spending in foreign currencies; contributions to international organisations and peacekeeping; and spending in sterling on items affected by exchange rates. Until 2007, FCO and the Treasury used the Overseas Price Movements (OPM) mechanism to maintain the local purchasing power of our Posts (the first category) despite any movements in exchange rates and differential inflation rates. Recent OPM transfers between FCO and HM Treasury are:
	
		
			  Financial year  Impact on Posts (million)  Notes 
			 2004-05 -14.1 Returned to HMT 
			 2005-06 -4.9 Returned to HMT 
			 2006-07 -9.6 Returned to HMT 
			 2007-08 +1.4 HMT Funded FCO Pressure 
			 2008-09 +59.2 OPM withdrawn 
			 2009-10 +80.0  
		
	
	The withdrawal of OPM became effective from April 2008. Since then, 190 of our Posts have faced exchange rate and inflationary pressures. In 2008-09 the exchange and inflation rate pressure on our Posts' budgets was £59.2 million. In 2009-10 the exchange and inflation rate pressures on our Posts' budgets is expected to be £80 million. I have placed details in the Library of the House. Additional exchange rate pressures have impacted our international organisations subscriptions, peacekeeping assessed contributions and some other budgets spent in sterling but impacted by exchange rate movements.
	The FCO monitors the impact of foreign currency movements on budgets on a continuing basis. The FCO Board of Management has met frequently and offered me advice on how best to meet the estimated impact (including OPM) of over £100 million in 2009-10.
	FCO's discretionary budget from which Posts are funded is £830million (which includes FCO's contributions to UKTI, but excludes all our contributions to UN Peacekeeping and the costs of International Organisations subscriptions). Our Posts have responded impressively with a range of efficiency savings. Programme spend has also been reduced to meet the new budgets.
	The foreign currency forward purchase programme to help manage our foreign exchange needs is carried out through our Strategic Treasury Team of three people, drawing on wider skills as and when necessary. A number of more senior staff, including the FCO's Finance Committee, have overseen the operation. HiFX Intelligent Financial Services also provide specialist support at the cost of £41,400 per year.

Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 12 of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC) Business Plan, 2009-10, by what means the CMEC plans to collect robust and assured data on private arrangements; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 12 of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC) Business Plan 2009 if she will set out how CMEC plans to collect robust and assured data on private arrangements; and if she will make a statement.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is in the process of commissioning work to build an annual survey which will provide an estimate of the number of separated families and the proportion with effective arrangements in place whether statutory or private . The survey findings are expected in 2010.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of staff of her Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what her Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Jim Knight: The information held at the end of September 2009 on part-time flexible working contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and its agencies is in the following table.
	
		
			  Working pattern 
			   Part-time 
			  Agency  Number  Percentage 
			 Jobcentre Plus 28,049 31 
			 Pensions Disability and Carers Service 6,079 37 
			 Corporate Shared Services 3,153 24 
			 Total 37,281 31 
		
	
	The information held on part-time flexible working contracts for non-departmental public bodies is in the following table.
	
		
			  Working pattern 
			   Part-time 
			  Non-departmental public body  Number  Percentage 
			 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) 2,813 36 
			 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 927 24 
			 Independent Living Fund (ILF) 67 36 
			 Pension Protection Fund (PPF) 14 7.3 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (PO) and Pensions Protection Fund Ombudsman (PPFO) 4 11 
			 Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) 1 0.7 
			 Remploy Ltd. 500 10 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) 6 15 
			 The Pensions Regulator (TPR) 40 13.5 
		
	
	DWP recognises the advantage of having a range of different flexible working arrangements to meet business needs. Current selection policy encourages applications from employees looking to job share and work flexibly.
	The Department's HR work force planning team produces a monthly pocket facts report, this includes staffing-headcount analysis. The report is available on the departmental intranet with the last publication being for September 2009, this showed 82,344 employees as full time and 37,281 part-time. This equates to 69 per cent. and 31 per cent. respectively. The difference between the 82,344 from pocket facts and the 82,335 in our data (nine) is based on the working pattern not being recorded on RM.
	Departmental guidance on working hours and working patterns was amended to include advice for employees on how employees can find potential job-share partners by linking to the civil service jobs on line internet site.
	Data on non-departmental public bodies has been provided by the departmental governance team.

Social Security Benefits: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former claimants of jobseeker's allowance in Peterborough constituency have moved on to  (a) pension credit,  (b) a training allowance,  (c) the self-employment credit and  (d) a Future Jobs Fund job in each month of the last two years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 November 2009
	Data on people who flow off jobseeker's allowance onto pension credit is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The information requested on people who have flowed off jobseeker's allowance onto training allowance in the Peterborough constituency in each month of the last two years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of people in the Peterborough parliamentary constituency flowing from Jobseeker's Allowance to Government-supported training schemes-each month of the last two years. 
			   Number 
			 November 2007 40 
			 December 2007 60 
			 January 2008 30 
			 February 2008 60 
			 March 2008 55 
			 April 2008 60 
			 May 2008 65 
			 June 2008 75 
			 July 2008 70 
			 August 2008 70 
			 September 2008 60 
			 October 2008 50 
			 November 2008 70 
			 December 2008 60 
			 January 2009 45 
			 February 2009 85 
			 March 2009 40 
			 April 2009 75 
			 May 2009 100 
			 June 2009 65 
			 July 2009 90 
			 August 2009 60 
			 September 2009 15 
			 October 2009 10 
			  Notes: 1. Data is rounded to the nearest five. 2. This information is published on the Nomis website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. The percentage of people leaving with an unknown destination recorded has increased over the last 10 years. This is because the completion levels of the JSA40 (forms filled in by people leaving jobseeker's allowance) have decreased over this period. This should be taken into account when interpreting these statistics, as many of these 'unknown' leavers will have moved into employment or other benefits.  Source:  Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only). 
		
	
	Information on the number of people who have flowed off jobseeker's allowance to receive the self-employment credit is not available at constituency level. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Maidenhead, (Mrs. May), on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 571-72W, for the data that is available at national level.
	The information requested on people who have flowed off jobseeker's allowance into a Future Jobs Fund job is not available.

Ministers

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criteria determine the order in which Cabinet Ministers are listed in the list of Cabinet Ministers on page two of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, dated October 2009.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ainsworth) on 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 83W.

Beer: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the average retail price of a pint of beer comprised tax in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HMRC publish data on the percentage of the average price of a pint of beer that is comprised of tax in the Alcohol Factsheet. This can be found in Tables 3.5 and 3.7 at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factalcohol
	Data for 2009 are not yet available.

Taxation: Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) small and medium-sized and  (b) other enterprises have made Time to Pay arrangements with HM Revenue and Customs to defer tax through the Business Payment Support Service to date; how much tax liability has been deferred as a result of such arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs measures the Business Payment Support Service through the number and value of agreements reached, and not by the size of business. To 29 November 2009 just under 238,000 time to pay arrangements have been agreed worth £4.17 billion.
	The agreements do not defer payment but agree the payment of tax by instalments over a period of time. Since the service was introduced on 24 November 2008, over 90 per cent. of the value of payments due has been paid by the agreed time.

Taxation: Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax HM Revenue and Customs forecasts will be written off as bad debts as a result of  (a) small and medium-sized and  (b) other enterprises which have made Time to Pay arrangements with HM Revenue and Customs to defer tax through the Business Payment Support Service not being able to meet their tax liabilities in (i) January 2010, (ii) February 2010, (iii) March 2010, (iv) April 2010, (v) May 2010, (vi) June 2010, (vii) July 2010, (viii) August 2010 and (ix) September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) includes an overall provision for doubtful debt each year in its annual accounts but does not routinely disaggregate this figure. The most recent provisions are included in the accounts to 31 March 2009, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accs-0809.pdf
	However, over 90 per cent. of the value of tax that has become due under Time to Pay arrangements agreed through the Business Payment Support Service, launched in November 2008 is being paid in line with agreed instalments.
	Arrangements are available to businesses that are in genuine financial difficulty and unable to pay tax on time, but that are likely to be able to pay the tax due if given more time.
	HMRC look at each time to pay proposal on its individual merits against general risk-based criteria, which they have since the service's introduction to reach decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Claire Ward: The criminal offences abolished and created by primary legislation sponsored by my Department are provided in the following list. The information has been obtained by a manual trawl of the legislation.
	Only newly created offences have been included, not any existing offences which have been amended by the legislation.
	 Offences Created by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
	s41 Unauthorised disclosure of information relating to fine enforcement.
	s57 Unauthorised disclosure of information relating to the assessment of financial eligibility.
	s63 Possessing an extreme pornographic image.
	s72 United Kingdom national doing an act in a country outside the United Kingdom, which if done in England and Wales or Northern Ireland would constitute a sexual offence.
	s74 and schedule 16 Inciting hatred on the ground of sexual orientation.
	 Offences repealed or abolished by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
	s79 Common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.
	 Offences created by Coroners and Justice Act 2009
	s30 Failure to notify coroner of acquisition of certain objects.
	s62 Possession of a prohibited image of a child.
	s71 Holding a person in slavery or servitude or requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.
	s76 Disclosing information in contravention of an investigation anonymity order.
	Sch 6 Pt 1. para 1 Serving on a jury at an inquest if disqualified from jury service.(1)
	Sch 6 Pt 1. para 2 Refusing without reasonable excuse to answer any question put by a senior coroner, (b) giving an answer to such a question knowing the answer to be false in a material particular, or (c) recklessly giving an answer to such a question that is false in a material particular.(1)
	Sch 6 Pt1. para 3 A person who is duly summoned as a juror at an inquest (a) making any false representation, or (b) to causing or permitting to be made any false representation on his or her behalf, with the intention of evading service as a juror at an inquest.(1)
	Sch 6 Pt1. para 4 Making or causing to be made, on behalf of a person who has been duly summoned as a juror at an inquest, any false representation with the intention of enabling the other person to evade service as a juror at an inquest.(1)
	Sch 6 Pt 2. para 7(1) (a) Doing anything that is intended to have the effect of (a) distorting or otherwise altering any evidence, document or other thing that is given, produced or provided for the purposes of an investigation under this part of this Act, or (c) doing anything that the person knows or believes is likely to have that effect.(1)
	Sch 6. para 7(1) (b) preventing any evidence, document or other thing from being given, produced or provided for the purposes of such an investigation.
	Sch. 6. para 7(2)(a) Intentionally suppressing or concealing a document.
	Sch 6 para 7(2) (b) Intentionally alter or destroy such a document.
	Sch 6 para 8(1) In giving unsworn evidence at an inquest, giving false evidence in such circumstances that, had the evidence been given on oath, he or she would have been guilty of perjury.
	(1) Denotes offences replacing repealed offences.
	 Offences abolished or repealed by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
	s9(3) Coroners Act 1988 A person serving on a jury knowing that he is disqualified from such service.
	s9(5)a Coroners Act 1988 Refusing without reasonable excuse to answer a question put by a senior coroner. b) Giving an answer which he knows to be false in a material particular; or c) Recklessly giving an answer which is false in a material particular.
	s9(6)a Coroners act 1988 A person duly summoned as a juror making any false representation to the coroner or the appropriate officer with the intention of evading service as such juror.
	s9(6)a Coroners Act 1988 A person summoned as a juror at an inquest causing or permitting to be made any representation on his or her behalf with the intention of evading service as a juror.
	s9(6)b Coroners Act 1988 Making or causing to be made on behalf of another person who has been so summoned any false representation to the coroner or the appropriate officer with the intention of enabling that other person to evade such service.
	s74 Common law offences of sedition, seditious libel, defamatory and obscene libel.
	 Offences created by Parliamentary Standards Act 2009
	s10 A member of the House of Commons making a claim under the MPs' allowances scheme, and (b) providing information for the purposes of the claim that the member knows to be false or misleading in a material respect.
	 Offences repealed by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009
	None
	 Offences Created by the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009
	s2(2) and Sch. 1 Failing without reasonable excuse, to comply with any requirement imposed under or by virtue of this schedule.
	s2(2) and Sch. 1 Intentionally obstructing a person authorised by or by virtue of this schedule in the carrying out of that person's functions.
	s2(2) and Sch 1 Knowingly or recklessly providing false information in purported compliance with a requirement imposed under or by virtue of this schedule.
	s9(2) (5) Knowingly or recklessly making a false declaration about source of donation.
	s10(4) (3)and schedule 4 Knowingly or recklessly making a false declaration about whether residence etc condition satisfied.
	s11(1) (5) Knowingly or recklessly making a false declaration about whether residence etc. condition is satisfied.
	s11(4) (5) Knowingly or recklessly makes a false declaration about whether residence etc condition is satisfied.
	s17(4) Knowingly giving false information about the amount of any controlled donation, or the person making the donation.
	s19 and schedule 5 An unincorporated association failing to give a notification or report to the Commission.
	s19 and schedule 5 An unincorporated association giving a notification to the Commission or making a report to the Commission which fails to comply with the relevant requirement.
	s31(4) Disclosing information for unauthorised purpose.
	s35(8) Disclosing information for unauthorised purpose.
	Sch 2 para 14 Failing to comply with stop notice.
	 Offences Repealed by the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009
	None.

Driving Offences

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of drivers who were convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in each of the last 10 years had previously been banned from driving.

Claire Ward: The data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the court proceedings database for England and Wales does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, including whether an offender found guilty at court had previously been banned from driving.

Henry VIII Clauses

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what Henry VIII powers were enacted in legislation passed in the 2008-09 Parliamentary Session.

Jack Straw: The Government do not routinely collect or hold information about the number of Henry VIII provisions. However in response to an earlier question from the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on the number of Henry VIII powers that had been enacted up until that point in the 2008-09 Session, a detailed exercise was undertaken to collate the information.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Justice (Mr. Wills) wrote to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 10 November 2009 with the following information:
	As you know, a Henry VIII clause is a power in a Bill which enables primary legislation to be amended or repealed by secondary legislation. Such provisions are included in legislation for a variety of reasons.
	Due to the diverse nature of this type of power, we cannot be sure that we have captured every instance. However we estimate that there are around 70 such powers contained within legislation enacted so far this Session. At least 10 of these powers are not new, but have been re-enacted this Session and at least 15 of the powers are provisions allowing for consequential amendments. The majority of the remaining powers are narrow in scope, applying in specific circumstances, including 18 powers in the Finance Act 2009.
	15 of the 70 powers are contained in the Banking Act 2009, which was passed in response to the recent period of sustained disruption in global financial markets. The more substantive of these 15 powers are necessary to ensure that the special resolution regime can be used effectively to resolve a failing bank or building society, in order to protect depositors and maintain financial stability.
	Parliament has long-and rightly-been hostile to the principle of Henry VIII powers, and so have I and my colleagues. They are only used when there is substantial call for them; no practical alternative of dealing with the issue in the original legislation; and such powers are rarely wide-ranging. The exercise of any Henry VIII power will be subject to subsequent parliamentary approval, either by way of the negative resolution procedure (for example where the change is technical, consequential or minor) or, as in most cases, the affirmative resolution procedure.
	All of the powers themselves were subject to parliamentary scrutiny prior to their enactment and were accepted as necessary by Parliament having considered the views of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee.
	In order to answer this question fully, a similar exercise is being undertaken to take account of the Acts that have received Royal Assent since 10 November and I will write to the hon. and learned Member as soon as this exercise is complete. A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Personal Injury: Compensation

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the consequences of the introduction of a fixed costs regime in personal injury litigation with regard to road traffic accidents; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: No new research has been commissioned. However, data on current costs was made available to the representative organisations involved in the mediation process which resulted in the agreed fixed costs.

Sexual Offences: Rehabilitation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the timeliness of the delivery of  (a) internet sex offender programmes and  (b) community sex offender programmes against scheduled delivery timetables in each probation area in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: Delivery for the completion of sex offender treatment programmes (SOTP) is scheduled against annual targets, Targets for the number of completions of SOTP have been negotiated and agreed locally between Probation Areas or Trusts and the NOMS regional (and Wales) offices since 2007-08. In 2006-07 there were no area-level targets for SOTP completions, only a national target. Monthly milestones for delivery throughout the year are also agreed locally. These targets cover the overall provision of SOTP and are not broken down by the programme type.
	The targets are included in the Service Level Agreements (or contracts for Probation Trusts) setting out the agreed level of service delivery for each financial year and are signed off by the Regional Offender Manager or now the Director of Offender Management. Performance relative to targets and milestones is assessed quarterly through the Integrated Probation Performance Framework (IPPF), which provides the basis for the published provider ratings.
	Sex offender treatment programmes are delivered as a requirement of either a community sentence or release on a post-custodial licence. They are delivered alongside a supervision requirement, which is overseen by an Offender Manager. Supervision commences as soon as the offender is sentenced or released from custody and involves assessment of risk and treatment needs in addition to sentence planning and preparing the offender to engage in treatment. Other measures designed to protect the public may also be put in place, such as Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Supervision requirements for sex offenders are usually longer (up to three years) in order to allow sufficient time for treatment to be completed.
	The following table sets out the actual delivery of accredited sex offender treatment programme completions against targets for each probation area since 2006-07.
	
		
			  Probation sex offender treatment programme delivery targets 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Probation area  Delivery  Target  Delivery  Target  Delivery  Target 
			 Avon and Somerset 38 - 35 48 27 24 
			 Bedfordshire 28 - 20 20 15 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 18 - 24 20 24 24 
			 Cheshire 43 - 36 35 40 40 
			 County Durham 12 - 14 12 13 12 
			 Cumbria 14 - 12 12 11 10 
			 Derbyshire 27 - 29 21 24 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 53 - 39 52 50 45 
			 Dorset 21 - 20 24 21 20 
			 Dyfed Powys 4 - 4 3 6 4 
			 Essex 46 - 29 35 4! 41 
			 Gloucestershire 24 - 24 22 12 12 
			 Greater Manchester 37 - 50 50 60 60 
			 Gwent 14 - 15 16 13 13 
			 Hampshire 24 - 50 50 45 45 
			 Hertfordshire 17 - 22 20 26 25 
			 Humberside 29 - 23 23 23 23 
			 Kent 47 - 48 45 55 50 
			 Lancashire 42 - 45 41 44 43 
			 Leicestershire 44 - 27 21 28 26 
			 Lincolnshire 17 - 22 20 10 10 
			 London 77 - 106 100 102 100 
			 Merseyside 31 - 14 30 12 12 
			 Norfolk 19 - 29 29 30 30 
			 North Wales 8 - 17 13 26 13 
			 North Yorkshire 13 - 16 14 16 14 
			 Northamptonshire 15 - 10 10 15 15 
			 Northumbria 38 - 44 44 50 50 
			 Nottinghamshire 14 - 30 30 35 35 
			 South Wales 8 - 18 15 15 15 
			 South Yorkshire 39 - 37 36 40 36 
			 Staffordshire 43 - 41 34 42 35 
			 Suffolk 21 - 20 21 20 20 
			 Surrey 22 - 16 21 17 17 
			 Sussex 35 - 51 50 39 35 
			 Teesside 18 - 16 13 13 13 
			 Thames Valley 55 - 65 50 64 60 
			 Warwickshire 16 - 15 14 15 14 
			 West Mercia 41 - 29 25 30 25 
			 West Midlands 118 - 110 109 110 109 
			 West Yorkshire 48 - 64 60 61 60 
			 Wiltshire 23 - 24 24 27 20 
			 England and Wales 1,301 (1)1,200 1,360 1,332 1,367 1,291 
			 (1) In 2006-07 there were no area-level targets for SOTP completions, only a national target.

Truancy

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many parents appeared in court in relation to their children's truancy in  (a) England and  (b) North East Cambridgeshire in each of the last 10 years.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons proceeded against in relation to their children's truancy in England and Cambridgeshire police force area from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) can be found in the following table.
	Data are not available at constituency level; police force area data have been provided in lieu. Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences relating to truancy( 1 ) in Cambridgeshire police force area and England, 1998 to 2007( 2,3) 
			  Proceeded against  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Cambridgeshire 28 32 5 15 16 17 40 64 49 44 
			 England 4,931 4,860 5,125 6,023 6,510 6,724 7,545 7,299 8,723 10,171 
			 (1) Includes the following; (i) Failure to secure regular attendance at school. (Education Act 1996 S.444 (1X8)). (ii) Parent knows that their child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school. (Education Act 1996 S.444(8X1aX8a) added by Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 S.72). (iii) Offences against the Education Acts 1944-2002. (This classification to be used when a person is prosecuted for an offence under 'The Education Acts") (Not to be used where there is a specific code for an offence under one of the Education Acts or for offences under (i) or (ii)). (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Young Offenders: Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the evaluation of the Youth Justice Board's intensive fostering scheme has not been completed in accordance with the original timetable; what estimate he has made of the effects on the costs of the evaluation of its extended duration; and when he expects the outcomes of the evaluation to be published.

Maria Eagle: The timetable for the Intensive Fostering Evaluation was extended by nine months from 1 March 2008 to 31 December 2008 to allow extra time for the recruitment of the sample and the control group, as the initial setting up of the pilot programmes and referrals of children into the programme took longer than initially anticipated. The additional cost for this extension was £34,090.00.
	The first draft of the Intensive Fostering Evaluation report was received by the Youth Justice Board in December 2008. Since then it has been revised and then sent out to peer review. The peer review comments and questions are in the process of being dealt with and it will be available for publication in the first quarter of 2010. The delays have not affected the cost of the evaluation as dealing with reviews and comments are built in to the initial contract.

Dieticians: Qualifications

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding on average his Department provides for a four year dietetics degree which allows the holder to register as a registered dietician with the Health Profession Council.

Ann Keen: The Department provides funding to strategic health authorities to commission training places on dietician degree courses. In 2008-09, the bench mark price for the cost of tuition in that year for a four year dietetics degree was £8,830 per national health service funded student. Eligible students on this course also receive a means tested NHS bursary from the NHS Student Bursaries Unit. In 2008-09 the average NHS bursary per eligible student was £2,482 for that year.
	In addition to the NHS bursary, dietician students are also eligible to apply for a non means tested student loan from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Exercise

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of regular exercise on the health of people aged  (a) 18 to 25,  (b) 26 to 49,  (c) 50 to 69 and  (d) 70 years old and more.

Gillian Merron: The Chief Medical Officer's report "At least five a week"-Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health sets out the evidence for the health benefits of regular physical activity for children and adolescents, adults and older adults. It was published in 2004 and a copy of the report has already been placed in the Library.
	To take in to account more recent research, the Department is currently working with Welsh Assembly Government, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland and NHS Health Scotland to review the existing United Kingdom recommendations for the "dose" of physical activity required for general health benefits.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of implementing the provisions of personal care as set out in the Personal Care at Home Bill using a definition of personal care which includes the services listed in paragraph 4.9 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill.

Phil Hope: It is not appropriate to do so, as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living are outside the definition of Personal Care as set out under the draft regulations being made under section 8 and 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to table 2 and Annex 1 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, if he will publish the logistic model used to calculate each individual's need for formal care; and from what source data was derived to populate that model.

Phil Hope: The logistic regression model referred to in Annex 1 is used to estimate a continuous measure of need for individuals 65 and over in the third wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). The data used to populate the model was from the third wave of ELSA. The specification of the model is as follows:
	logit(p) = b0 + b1X1 + b2X2 + b3X3 + b4X4 + b5X5 + b6X6 + b7X7 + b8X8 + b9X9
	where p is the probability of receiving formal care (either state, private or voluntary sector funded)
	b0 is a constant term
	b1 to b9 are co-efficients on the independent variables X1 to X9
	X1 is the individual's age in years
	X2 is the square of the individual's age in years
	X3( )is 1 if the individual has difficulty with dressing and 0 if not
	X4( )is 1 if the individual has difficulty with walking and 0 if not
	x5( )is 1 if the individual has difficulty with bathing and 0 if not
	x6( )is 1 if the individual has difficulty with eating and 0 if not
	x7( )is 1 if the individual has difficulty with going to bed and 0 if not
	x8 is 1 if the individual has difficulty with going to the toilet and 0 if not
	x9( )is 1 if the individual lives alone and 0 if not

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 5.11 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, what his Department's  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum estimate of reablement costs are.

Phil Hope: We understand that there is wide variability in costs of reablement in different councils. The Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill makes clear that the £1,000 cost of re-ablement per person is an assumption-paragraph 5.15 states, "If we assume the cost of a package of re-ablement is £1,000 per person..."-and its derivation is clearly and transparently stated in Annex B. Given the uncertainties associated with alternative cost figures and the relatively conservative stance taken with regard to potential benefits, the £1,000 per person estimate used in the impact assessment is not considered to be unreasonable.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill; whether he plans to make individuals eligible for more than one package of reablement funded by the taxpayer.

Phil Hope: This is something that we invite comments on as part of the consultation, 'Personal Care at Home: a consultation on proposals for regulation and guidance', a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. There are currently no proposals to restrict packages of re-ablement. It will be for councils to determine who might benefit from this intervention and whether it is appropriate to repeat this at a later date.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, what reablement schemes he expects to be available; and what home additions might be made under such schemes.

Phil Hope: This would be a matter for local discretion based on the assessment of an individual's needs. In our consultation, 'Personal Care at Home: a consultation on proposals for regulations and guidance', we suggest that this could include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, installation of telecare or adaptations to the house. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to collect centrally data relating to  (a) Fair Access to Care Services critical people and  (b) reablement.

Phil Hope: The consultation document, "Personal Care at Home: a consultation on proposals for regulations and guidance", has sought views from councils on what data may be required and how it might be collected. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.

Tuberculosis: Health Services

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a national programme to co-ordinate the provision of prevention and control services for tuberculosis.

Gillian Merron: Tuberculosis (TB) services delivered by the national health service are recommended to follow the advice contained in the Chief Medical Officer's Action Plan Stopping Tuberculosis in England published in 2004, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance Clinical diagnosis and management of tuberculosis and measure for its prevention and treatment published in 2006, and the Department's TB Toolkit Tuberculosis prevention and treatment: a toolkit for planning, commissioning and delivering high-quality services in England issued in 2007. Copies of the plan and toolkit have already been placed in the Library.
	Organisation and delivery of TB services are the responsibility of NHS management, and we have held stakeholder meetings to work with local services to review the overall strategy for TB control.
	We have also delivered a number initiatives to TB services across England, including:
	Free treatment drugs for all TB patients have been provided; and
	Systematic screening of prisoners for TB in key prisons is being implemented.
	In addition, we are funding an awareness raising strategy, aimed at primary healthcare professionals with locally targeted messages to high-risk groups to improve early detection.

Northumberland Unitary Authority

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will visit Northumberland to discuss the funding of the new unitary authority.

Rosie Winterton: I can reassure the right hon. Gentleman that I have already had discussions with Northumberland about funding.
	My right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State, along with the Regional Minister for the North East met the leader and chief executive of Northumberland in the summer.
	In addition, officials are maintaining a regular dialogue with council officers, with their next meeting being in Morpeth on Friday this week.

Kirkby: Regeneration

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is for the regeneration of Kirkby; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Her Majesty's Government recognise the importance of regeneration in Kirkby, as demonstrated by the £72 million of public and European investment that has been made into Kirkby and the surrounding areas.
	My hon. Friend met yesterday with the Regional Minister for the North West (Mr. Woolas), to explore opportunities for the development of Kirkby town centre. It was agreed that a proposal would be produced for the redevelopment of the town centre to create enhanced retail, leisure, office and public sector facilities for the residents of Kirkby. Key regional bodies will be working with partners in Knowsley to develop this proposal, and I have asked my officials to keep closely involved in supporting and monitoring progress on this work.
	The Regional Minister will chair a further meeting in early January to take stock of progress.

Worklessness

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the role of local authorities in reducing worklessness.

Rosie Winterton: I, my ministerial colleagues and my Officials, are in regular contact with a range of organisations on this important issue, including individual local authorities and the Local Government Association.
	Local authorities and their partners play a vital role in tackling worklessness, through leading, co-ordinating and delivering integrated partnership responses to worklessness that are tailored to local needs.
	That is why we topped-up the £1.5 billion Working Neighbourhoods Fund with an additional £40 million last month, and that is why local authority-led partnerships are responsible for around half of the 95,00 Future Jobs Fund jobs announced so far.

Derelict Land

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the London Brownfield Sites Database; and whether he plans to extend the database across England.

Ian Austin: The London Brownfield Sites database was launched on 8 October 2009 by the London Development Agency and the Homes and Communities Agency. The database is a freely available online tool. It is being used by all 33 London local planning authorities and other stakeholder groups including the Environment Agency, Natural England and English Heritage. Visitors to the database website are able to identify sites suitable for development, and explore and understand a site's context due to the themed data made available. Data includes transport routes, deprivation, social infrastructure, as well as heritage and natural environment assets. The Homes and Communities Agency is considering options for the development of similar systems in other English regions. As part of this process HCA will monitor the effectiveness of the London Brownfield sites database over the coming months.

Disabled Facilities Grants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the level of  (a) demand and  (b) funding available for disabled facilities grants in Somerset; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of disabled facilities grant allocations in each local authority in England as a percentage of assessed grant need in the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: Communities and Local Government provided local authorities in Somerset with £1.7 million in 2009-10 towards their disabled facilities grant budgets.
	The 2009-10 estimates on the disabled facilities grant allocations as a percentage of assessed need is available on Communities and Local Government website at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/supportandadaptations/housingadaptations/localauthoritydfgallocations/
	Local authorities are required to complete an annual claim and monitoring form to the Department for disabled facilities grants. This includes information on the level of contribution claimed from central government, levels of expenditure and on levels of demand. The most recent data collection exercise, which has been expanded in 2009-10 to gather more information on levels of grant need, is nearly complete and we will be publishing the figures early in the new year.

Fires

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to make a formal response to the ministerial submission of 2 April 2009 from the Business and Community Safety Forum on the fires in timber-framed constructions; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) on 28 May 2009 to the joint ministerial submission from the Business and Community Safety Forum and Practitioners Forum. I have placed a copy of the reply in the Library.

Local Government Finance: Bury

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding was allocated by his Department to Bury Metropolitan Borough Council in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 in respect of (i) revenue grant and (ii) specific grants; and what the percentage change was on the previous year in each case.

Barbara Follett: Formula Grant (which is made up of Revenue Support Grant, National Non-Domestic Rates and Principal Formula Police Grant) is the main revenue grant funding made to local authorities aside from those made for specific purposes by individual Departments. Formula Grant is distributed to local authorities by Communities and Local Government on behalf of central Government as a whole. The following table sets out the information requested.
	
		
			   Prior year's adjusted formula grant( 1)  (£ million)  Formula grant change( 1)  (£ million)  Change( 1) (£ million)  Change( 1)  (percentage) 
			 2007-08 56.357 57.926 1.568 2.8 
			 2008-09 61.118 63.103 1.985 3.2 
			 (1) On a like for like basis taking account of changes such as, for example, finance or function. 
		
	
	The following table sets out the information on specific grants provided by this Department.
	
		
			  Grant  2007-08  (£ million)  2008-09  (£ million)  Change  (£ million)  Change (percentage) 
			 Planning Delivery(1) 0.295 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Housing and Planning Delivery(1) n/a 0.182 n/a n/a 
			 Homelessness 0.325 0.325 0 0 
			 Supporting People 6.653 6.611 0.042 -0.63 
			 Supporting People Administration(2) 0.149 n/a n/a n/a 
			 (1) The Planning Delivery Grant was replaced by the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant in 2008-09. (2) Supporting People Administration Grant was provided through Area Based Grant in 2008-09. 
		
	
	In addition to the funding set out, Area Based Grant (ABG) was introduced in April 2008. ABG is also paid by this Department on behalf of Government and is comprised of a number of former specific revenue grants formerly provided by individual Government Departments. The allocation to Bury council in 2008-09 was £8.630 million, of which the Communities and Local Government element of funding was £0.732 million.

Sheltered Housing: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sheltered housing tenants there are in Tamworth borough council area.

Ian Austin: There are 453 tenants in Sheltered housing within the Tamworth borough.

Temporary Accommodation

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will rank local authorities in England by the numbers of tenants in temporary accommodation in each local authority area  (a) on 2 December 2009,  (b) in April 2009,  (c) in 2008 and  (d) in 2007; how many such tenants there were in each local authority area in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly "Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness", available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available, and this information is also collected.
	The number of households in temporary accommodation in each local authority at the end of each quarter is published in the supplementary table of the "Statutory Homelessness Statistical Release". The equivalent figures for previous years can be found in earlier additions of the Release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/

Gifted Children: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in North East Milton Keynes constituency have participated in gifted and talented programmes in each year since 2000.

Diana Johnson: The Department does not collect data about participation in gifted and talented programmes. Through the School Census schools are asked to confirm the number of gifted and talented pupils they have identified. The following table provides data on how many children were identified as gifted and talented in the January census between 2006, when the question was first asked, and 2009.
	2006 records include Secondary G and T pupil data only. Otherwise, figures include Primary(1) and Secondary(1,)( )(2) school data broken down by the number(3) and percentage of gifted and talented pupils.
	(1) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(2) Includes City Technology Colleges and Academies.
	(3) Excludes dual enrolments.
	
		
			   2006 (Secondary only)  2007  2008  2009 
			  NE Milton Keynes  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Primary n/a n/a 370 3.9 610 6.2 600 6.1 
			 Secondary 380 6.6 560 8.5 540 8.1 540 7.9 
			  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Schools: Asbestos

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in how many schools in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point has asbestos been found in the last three years;
	(2)  if he will publish Essex County Council's response to his Department's survey of the  (a) presence and  (b) management of asbestos in schools in Essex; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 7 December 2009
	The Department's survey asked for information on whether schools contain asbestos containing materials. It also asked questions about asbestos management in local authorities and schools. The Department did receive a response from Essex county council but we are not in a position to publish any of the local authority responses as this information may be required for legal purposes. The Health and Safety Executive is planning follow up investigations in 2010 in a number of local authorities to clarify the information provided.

Schools: Electricity

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what third-party approvals are required when electrical cables and wires are installed in newly-built school premises.

Vernon Coaker: There is no legal requirement to obtain third party approval of electrical wires and cables. However competent electrical consultants would specify the use of cables branded BASEC and approved by the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC).

Special Educational Needs: Young Offenders

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of young offenders who have special educational needs; and what educational provision is available to such young offenders.

Diana Johnson: Research suggests that 15 per cent. of young offenders in custody have statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN). This is compared with 2.8 per cent. of the general school population.
	The education providers in HM Prison Service Young Offenders Institutions (YOIs) are required to identify the special educational needs of young people and provide appropriate provision for them. The providers are contractually required to provide learning support in the classroom, as separate provision, or on a one-to-one basis as required. Providers are required to make available this additional support through both Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) and also Learning Support Assistants (LSAs).
	Data provided to the Learning and Skills Council indicates that for the academic year August 2008 to July 2009, there were 2,932 referrals to SENCOs for 15 to 17-year-olds within Prison Service Young Offender Institutions.
	The Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, which received Royal Assent on 12 November, contains new provisions to make local authorities responsible for education in youth custody. This includes new duties on local authorities to ensure that appropriate provision is made for young people with SEN. This will help ensure that young people in custody have access to comparable support to which they could expect in community settings.

Specialist Schools: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what specialist schools have been established in North East Lincolnshire since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: There are eight schools in North East Lincolnshire that have gained specialist status since 1997: Cambridge Park Maths and Computing College (Maths and Computing 2007), Healing School (Science 2004), Hereford Technology School (Technology 2004), Humberston Comprehensive School (Maths and Computing 2006), Matthew Humberstone Church of England School (Business and Enterprise 2003), St. Mary's Catholic School (Humanities and Language 2005), The Lindsey School and Community Arts College (Arts 2000), Tollbar Business and Enterprise College (Business and Enterprise and Humanities 2000)
	There are also three academies in North East Lincolnshire. The Havelock Academy specialises in Maths, Computing and Engineering (2007). The Oasis Academy, Immingham specialises in Engineering with Business and Enterprise (2007) and the Oasis Academy, Wintringham specialises in Sports and Health with Business and Enterprise (2007).
	The Western Technology College, in partnership with Hereford Technology School had specialist status from 2000 until 2004 until the partnership between the schools finished. The Western Technology College closed in August 2008 due to falling pupil numbers.

Biofuels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department has allocated for the purposes of developing biofuels since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: The Department for Transport has the overall remit for biofuels. They recently published a research and development strategy for biofuels that identified the current gaps in knowledge and the areas where Government could support greater scientific progress. DECC is working closely with the other Departments concerned, industry and academia to decide how best to take this forward.
	DECC also sponsors the National Non Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), the UK's national centre for renewable fuels, materials and technologies, which is facilitating the establishment of sustainable supply chains for biofuels.

Climate Change: International Co-operation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive on the Copenhagen climate change summit; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: I attended the joint ministerial committee on the European Union on 19 October, which focused mostly on Copenhagen. All devolved Administrations have representation on the committee.
	The British-Irish Council met in Jersey on the 17 April 2009, and the international climate negotiations were on the agenda. Lord Hunt, Minister for Sustainable Development and Energy Innovation met with the Minister for the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive, Sammy Wilson, during the council.

Energy: Meters

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to amend the system of pricing for pre-payment fuel meter customers.

David Kidney: E.ON, Npower, Scottish Power, EDF Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) have chosen to equalise their prepayment meter tariffs with standard credit for both gas and electricity. In addition, Centrica have equalised their electricity prepayment meter tariffs with standard credit.
	New rules came into force on 1 September outlawing undue price discrimination and ensuring price differences between different payment methods for electricity and gas are cost reflective.
	In their latest Quarterly Price Report, published 7 December 2009, Ofgem reported that tariff differentials for prepayment meter customers now, on average, reflect cost differences. This report can be found online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Quarterly%20Wholesale%20Retail%20Price %20Report%20November%202009.pdf

Nuclear Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what work he is undertaking with the International Atomic Energy Agency to assist states to develop a civil nuclear energy industry while minimising the risk of nuclear weapons proliferating.

David Kidney: The UK is a committed member of the IAEA and wants the Agency to maintain and strengthen its position at the centre of international efforts to ensure a safe and secure nuclear energy future. We are the fourth largest funder, make significant voluntary contribution to its Technical Cooperation and Nuclear Security Funds, DECC leads work with the Agency on a variety of civil nuclear related matters.
	Since 1981, the UK has provided a Support Programme (UKSP) to IAEA Safeguards. The UKSP has an annual budget of about £1 million and provides support, inter alia, with training of IAEA inspectors, analytical services and expert consultancy. Support to the IAEA's Nuclear Security Fund was doubled this year, up to £4 million. The UK also plays a key role in the IAEA's security work and the revision of the IAEA's recommendations for the physical protection of materials. DECC is also leading work on the UK-led Nuclear Fuel Assurance, one of several concepts being considered under an IAEA led initiative to provide states with an assured supply of nuclear fuel, and the Nuclear Centre of Excellence.
	UK engagement with the IAEA is set out in the UK policy document "Road to 2010" (Cm 7675, published 16 July this year) - a detailed plan of action in the run up to the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in May 2010.

Pay As You Save Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the first pilots of the new Pay As You Save scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Since the announcement of the pilots in the Low Carbon Transition Plan in July we have undertaken the detailed design of the pilots. The applications for delivery partners closed on the 6th November.
	The assessment process is now complete and the partners and corresponding locations for the pilots have recently been announced.

Renewables Advisory Board: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 436W, on the Renewables Advisory Board, on what date the Renewables Advisory Board budget for 2009-10 was finalised.

Joan Ruddock: The budget for the Renewables Advisor Board was finalised on 20 August 2009.

Renewables Obligation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effect on levels of competition of the cap on the number of renewables obligation certificates available for co-firing of regular biomass.

Joan Ruddock: We commissioned Oxera to look at the effects of the co-firing cap. Their report was published as part of the Renewables Energy Financial Incentives consultation and can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/elec_financial/elec_financial.aspx
	We are currently drafting the Government Response addressing this issue.

Renewables Obligation

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on the effect on the level of contribution of biomass to the renewable energy targets of retaining the cap on the number of renewables obligation certificates available for the co-firing of regular biomass.

Joan Ruddock: In their response to the Renewables Energy Financial Incentives consultation, Ofgem expressed their concern that the cap constrains the contribution to our renewable energy targets from a relatively low-cost renewable technology. We are currently drafting the Government Response addressing these issues.

Adult Education: Student Numbers

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many 19 to 24 year olds are studying  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time on (i) first Level 2, (ii) first Level 3, (iii) subsequent Level 2 and (iv) subsequent Level 3 qualifications.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 646W.
	We do not hold data that shows firstness by specific age-group or mode of attendance. Data showing participation on first full level 2 and first full level 3 qualifications is shown in a Statistical First Release (SFR), the next edition of which will be published on 17 December. The SFR can be found here:
	www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09

Bankruptcy

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bankruptcies there have been in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Sussex and  (c) Lewes constituency in each of the last five years.

Ian Lucas: The available information for bankruptcies in England and Wales, Sussex and Lewes constituency between 2004 and 2008 can be seen in the following table. Information for 2009 is not currently available, as regional insolvency statistics are only compiled on an annual basis
	
		
			  Bankruptcies 
			   England and Wales  Sussex( 1)  Lewes constituency( 1) 
			 2004 35,898 1,091 64 
			 2005 47,291 1,443 84 
			 2006 62,956 1,702 119 
			 2007 64,480 1,952 111 
			 2008 67,428 1,684 84 
			 (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008).

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2009,  Official Report, column 234W, on departmental pay, how many staff in his Department's predecessor departments received both an annual performance bonus and an in-year bonus in 2008-09; what the largest combined bonus payment to an individual was; and who was responsible for awarding such bonuses in each Department.

Patrick McFadden: BIS was formed through a MOG change that occurred in June. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). In response to your question the answers for each of the former Departments are included in the following table:
	
		
			  Department  Number of people that received both an annual and "in year" performance award  The proportion of staff that received both an annual and "in year" performance award (percentage)  The largest total amount awarded to an individual staff member that received both an annual and "in year" performance award (£) 
			 BERR 307 10.58 7,885 
			 DIUS 8 0.90 2,150 
		
	
	Who is responsible for awarding bonuses?
	 Annual Awards
	Within both former Departments annual performance awards are given to staff that receive an annual performance rating of "Highly Successful". The performance ratings are given through an appraisal process that takes place between the staff member and their line manager through the course of the year.
	 In year performance awards
	In year performance awards are in place to reward exceptional performance over a short period of time that might not be fully reflected in a staff appraisal report and annual pay awards. The following applies within the former Departments.
	 BERR
	The Director General has the final responsibility for authorising any special awards within their group.
	 DIUS
	The process for making "in year" awards is managed at group level with staff being assessed by panels consisting of staff from all grades against criteria set out in the DIUS values.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessors travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Patrick McFadden: Ministers would generally make use of government cars. Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code. The Department does not hold separate records of the travel journeys undertaken by Ministers as opposed to those undertaken by officials, to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.
	Mileage travelled during taxi journeys is not recorded and details are therefore unavailable.
	Taxi spend incurred by officials (including those in DIUS) in UK and overseas travel is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 342,928 
			 2005-06 386,443 
			 2006-07 349,075 
			 2007-08 329,842 
			 2008-09 411,471 
		
	
	Earlier spend details have not been retained and are therefore unavailable.

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agencies have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Patrick McFadden: The driver of a car being used for business purposes is advised that his responsibilities are as follows:
	you have a current driving licence, which covers the vehicle being driven
	you have suitable insurance allowing for business use of the vehicle
	the car has a current MOT, and is roadworthy
	you allow adequate time for journeys (including time for breaks on long journeys)
	you follow all advice, guidance and legislation relating to road safety-you will have to pay any fines incurred as a result of any driving offence
	you drive with consideration for the safety of passengers and other road users.
	Staff are required to report accidents on business travel to line management, which would be investigated if considered appropriate to do so.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Department's agencies and they will respond to my hon. Friend directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 8 December 2009:
	The Minister of State, for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agency have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.
	For the purposes of travel on official Insolvency Service business in a vehicle for which the Service is responsible, it is the responsibility of line managers to ensure that staff hold a valid driving licence.
	For travel on official Service business in a privately owned motor vehicle, the staff guidance advises that the owner of the vehicle should ensure that the driver holds a current driving licence for the vehicle. Regarding insurance, the use of a private motor vehicle must satisfy certain insurance conditions. It is the employee's personal responsibility to ensure that these conditions are fulfilled. Staff must declare that they know and understand the insurance requirements, and that they are covered accordingly.
	There is no specific guidance regarding road safety but staff are advised that they must ensure that the private vehicle they drive has a current MOT and is in roadworthy condition. The monitoring of compliance with guidance is the responsibility of local line managers, and is not checked centrally.
	Staff are required to report any motor vehicle accidents to their line-manager. Line managers must ensure that all accidents, incidents and near-miss events falling within their area of responsibility are reported and appropriately investigated, and remedies put in place to prevent re-occurrence. Near misses are not recorded unless they have resulted in some type of injury or distress to the individual that warrants recording under the above scheme.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 27 November 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 24 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
	The Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of BIS, requires staff who drive their own vehicle during the course of their duties to sign a declaration which confirms they have valid insurance.
	Hire cars are covered by Crown indemnity. Line managers are expected to check driving licences annually to ensure compliance with the requirements. If a hire vehicle is involved in an accident staff are required to notify the hire company and the line manager and full details of the incident submitted to the HR department.
	In respect of road safety we do not issue separate guidance: we expect staff to behave responsibly in all aspects of their official duties. It is made clear that the Office will not reimburse or accept any fines or penalties for motoring offences.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 8 December 2009:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 24 November 2009, UIN 302169, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has a Health and Safety Driving at Work Policy covering all the issues raised in your question. It is available if you wish to see it.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 26 November 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 24 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Where a vehicle was used for official business National Measurement Office staff must declare, on each claim made, that a valid driving licence is held by the driver and that no endorsements were pending that could result in a ban. If relevant to the claim, the declaration also covers that the vehicle used has a current MOT and is in roadworthy condition. Managers are required to confirm that the claimant's driving licence and, where relevant, motor insurance policy and MOT are reviewed for validity for official business use.
	The National Measurement Office has issued staff guidance for driving for work. Drivers must report any accidents, in which they were involved, when on official business. Guidance covers the actions that staff must undertake in such circumstances. Staff must complete an accident form within 24 hours of any such accident. The content of this form is then considered under normal health and safety procedures.

Further Education: Standards

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many further education colleges were deemed to be  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) failing by Ofsted in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2008-09 was published on 24 November. The data in this report shows that there were a total of 89 further education colleges inspected in 2008-09. Of these: 18 were judged to be outstanding; 38 were judged to be good; 29 were judged to be satisfactory; and four were judged to be inadequate.

Union Learning Fund: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department allocated in respect of Union Learning representatives in the last 12 months; and how many such posts in his Department were full-time.

Patrick McFadden: BIS have two union learning representatives who are allocated up to 4.5 days per year for this activity alongside their other duties.